Article
Driving down daily step counts: the impact of being driven to school on physical activity and sedentary behavior
Pediatric Exercise Science
(2013)
Abstract
This study investigated whether being driven to school was associated with lower
weekday and weekend step counts, less active out-of-school leisure pursuits, and
more sedentary behavior. Boys aged 10-13 years (/i = 384) and girls aged 9-13
years (n = 500) attending 25 Australian primary schools wore a pedometer and
completed a travel diary for one week. Parents and children completed surveys
capturing leisure activity, screen time, and sociodemographics. Commute distance
was objectively measured. Car travel was the most frequent mode of school
transportation (boys: 51%, girls: 58%). After adjustment (sociodemographics,
commute distance, and school clustering) children who were driven recorded fewer
weekday steps than those who walked (girls: -1,393 steps/? < .001, boys: -1,569 steps, p = .009) and participated in fewer active leisure activities (girls only: p =
.043). There were no differences in weekend steps or screen time. Being driven to
and from school is associated with less weekday pedometer-determined physical
activity in 9- to 13-year-old elementary-school children. Encouraging children,
especially girls, to walk to and from school (even for part of the way for those
living further distances) could protect the health and well-being of those children
who are insufficiently active.
Disciplines
Publication Date
2013
Citation Information
Trapp, G., Giles-Corti, B., Christian, H., Timperio, A., McCormack, G., Bulsara, M., and Villanueva, K. (2013). Driving down daily step counts: the impact of being driven to school on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Pediatric Exercise Science, 25(3), 337-346.